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Over 40 million Americans are infected with Toxoplasma gondii (12.4% current seroprevalence rate per CDC/NHANES), though cats are rarely the direct source
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025)
Notes
Seroprevalence declined from 22.5% (1988-1994) to 12.4% (2009-2010); cats shed oocysts for only 1-3 weeks after initial infection
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). CDC Toxoplasmosis Information. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/health/#us-toxoplasmosis-human-prevalence
~1%
Only approximately 1% of cats are actively shedding Toxoplasma oocysts at any given time
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025)
40%
Only 40% of cat owners take their cats to the veterinarian annually, compared to 82% of dog owners
Hill's Pet Nutrition (2025)
>63% vs <2%
Microchipped cats are returned to owners at dramatically higher rates than non-microchipped cats (>63% vs <2%)
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2009)
40% at 10+, 80% at 15+
Chronic kidney disease affects 40% (2 in 5) of cats over 10 years old, rising to 80% (4 in 5) of cats over 15
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (2025)
